Seaboard Marine completed the purchase of the M/V Karonga, a multi-purpose vessel that has been used by Seaboard in the South American trade in recent years. Sailing from the United States to Chile and Peru, the M/V Karonga, which has been renamed the M/V Seaboard Reliance, has been in the Seaboard fleet as a chartered vessel since August, 2002.
'The ship has the proper size and characteristics for the various types of cargoes that we carry in the Chile and Peru trade and once we had the opportunity to outright purchase the vessel, given the scarcity of multi-purpose tonnage, it was important that we consummate the transaction,' noted Edward Gonzalez, Seaboard Marine's President. 'The Chile and Peru markets are important to Seaboard and have been a steady contributor to our success. By purchasing the M/V Seaboard Reliance, it strengthens our commitment to the West Coast of South America trade which continues to grow in both two-way containers and heavy project cargoes.'
Classified at 14,793 gross registered tons, the versatile M/V Seaboard Reliance has four holds, seven hatches and a molded beam of 23 meters. The ship was lengthened to 172 meters in March, 2002. With three cranes and a flexible 'container friendly' design, the ship can carry more than 1,100 teus (twenty-foot equivalents). With a deadweight of 19,456 tons, The M/V Seaboard Reliance can also simultaneously carry heavy cargoes that are often used and generated by the mining industry.
Neither Seaboard nor the seller, Dritte Oceania of Germany, disclosed the purchase price.
